my grandfather once my my older brother and me (when we were probably Nelson’s age) wooden rifles that shot rubber bands; for sure we had hit ourselves or other passers-by therewith
The highest and best use of rubber bands was to build strike-anywhere match pistols: You take a spring-type wooden clothespin apart, turn the two wood pieces back to back and rubber-band them together on the pointed end. Now put the spring with the coil part up and the two ends under the top piece of wood. Cock it by using a third wood pin piece to push one spring end back (you may have to carve a bit so it will stay cocked). Insert a kitchen strike-anywhere match, into the throat, bulb end inward. Now, when you push the coil part of the spring until the rear end springs forward, lighting the match as it is flung from the pistol. It travels several feet.
I used to have really nicely-designed rubber-band pistol that was a six-shooter (or maybe only five). You could load up six (five?) rubber bands. Each would fit over the front of the “barrel,” and there were six slots at the back. When you shot your first one, the back piece would lift all the remaining ones up one slot, and you’d be ready to fire the next one. It was an ingenious mechanism. I could fire all six in 2.5-3 seconds. Of course, Mom wouldn’t let me fire them inside anywhere :-(I just checked on Amazon, and they still make ’em! And rifles too! Search for rubber-band gun.
I think it is various states that have outlawed them. They are still sold in grocery stores in NM. Just don’t stick them loose in a pocket! A friend claims to have learned this from experience.Alsohttps://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Green-Strike-Anywhere-Matches/dp/B0050050JQ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=strike+anywhere+matches&qid=1580309175&sr=8-2
During the late ‘50s they were outlawed in high-school, and all we had were spit balls, which I flipped onto the study hall ceiling. That room became my girl friend’s home-room, later my wife and mother of our children, until 2017 (RIP).
In the “good?” old days…Take a pencil, pry off the top stick a pin facing outwards in the eraser, put a strong rubber band facing backwards and replace it on the pencil.
Place the “Dart” in a book in the victims desk, with the rubber band attached to the little leg to raise the desk lid.When he lifted the lid…Very annoying to be “Had”…It hurt a little, but that’s the “Point”!Acquired knowledge, and passed on…
We had a lot of fun with rubber band fights, including the wooden 6-shooter pistols. The only rule around here was that if Mom didn’t shoot someone else, she was not playing the game and could not be a target. I did however, join the game frequently.
My brothers and I used to have rubber band wars in our house. Each start out with about six, and once your ammo was used up you had to scavenge for it. We had regular rules, too. A hit in the arm or leg made that limb useless, hit in the head or upper torso was fatal. Last one standing won.
Templo S.U.D. over 4 years ago
my grandfather once my my older brother and me (when we were probably Nelson’s age) wooden rifles that shot rubber bands; for sure we had hit ourselves or other passers-by therewith
Concretionist over 4 years ago
The highest and best use of rubber bands was to build strike-anywhere match pistols: You take a spring-type wooden clothespin apart, turn the two wood pieces back to back and rubber-band them together on the pointed end. Now put the spring with the coil part up and the two ends under the top piece of wood. Cock it by using a third wood pin piece to push one spring end back (you may have to carve a bit so it will stay cocked). Insert a kitchen strike-anywhere match, into the throat, bulb end inward. Now, when you push the coil part of the spring until the rear end springs forward, lighting the match as it is flung from the pistol. It travels several feet.
Do not do this inside, or on dry grass !!
Orcatime over 4 years ago
He is lucky he’s not my (grand)child.
Dirty Dragon over 4 years ago
“So far, so good.”
DavidWilliams1 over 4 years ago
Samuel P. Langley, a competitor of the Wright Brothers, tried to build a full-size airplane powered by twisted-up rubber bands.
Breadboard over 4 years ago
Well Earl take the target sticker off of your butt . You know just like the sign that says “Kick Me” :-)
jpayne4040 over 4 years ago
Probably not!
jagedlo over 4 years ago
I didn’t know Opal was an arms dealer!
Zebrastripes over 4 years ago
LOL! a I knew that was coming….twang
sirbadger over 4 years ago
Rubber bands are a good way to kill insects on your TV or computer monitor.
cubswin2016 over 4 years ago
You have to be more careful what you give to a kid, or Earl for that matter.
Yardley701 over 4 years ago
Do not do this to any living being human or animal or insect.
iggyman over 4 years ago
In junior high we used rubber bands to shoot paper clips at each other.!
Less Monday... More Friday over 4 years ago
Come on Earl, be a man, send them back to Nelson the same way he’s sending them to you.
I'll fly away over 4 years ago
We did the rubber band gun using our hands.
khjalmarj over 4 years ago
I used to have really nicely-designed rubber-band pistol that was a six-shooter (or maybe only five). You could load up six (five?) rubber bands. Each would fit over the front of the “barrel,” and there were six slots at the back. When you shot your first one, the back piece would lift all the remaining ones up one slot, and you’d be ready to fire the next one. It was an ingenious mechanism. I could fire all six in 2.5-3 seconds. Of course, Mom wouldn’t let me fire them inside anywhere :-(I just checked on Amazon, and they still make ’em! And rifles too! Search for rubber-band gun.
Harvey Bug over 4 years ago
I think it is various states that have outlawed them. They are still sold in grocery stores in NM. Just don’t stick them loose in a pocket! A friend claims to have learned this from experience.Alsohttps://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Green-Strike-Anywhere-Matches/dp/B0050050JQ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=strike+anywhere+matches&qid=1580309175&sr=8-2
sarahbowl1 Premium Member over 4 years ago
In my day, the second rubber band would be in the trash and I would be quarantined in my room!
zeexenon over 4 years ago
During the late ‘50s they were outlawed in high-school, and all we had were spit balls, which I flipped onto the study hall ceiling. That room became my girl friend’s home-room, later my wife and mother of our children, until 2017 (RIP).
chain gang charlie over 4 years ago
In the “good?” old days…Take a pencil, pry off the top stick a pin facing outwards in the eraser, put a strong rubber band facing backwards and replace it on the pencil.
Place the “Dart” in a book in the victims desk, with the rubber band attached to the little leg to raise the desk lid.When he lifted the lid…Very annoying to be “Had”…It hurt a little, but that’s the “Point”!Acquired knowledge, and passed on…
Jan C over 4 years ago
We had a lot of fun with rubber band fights, including the wooden 6-shooter pistols. The only rule around here was that if Mom didn’t shoot someone else, she was not playing the game and could not be a target. I did however, join the game frequently.
whenlifewassimpler over 4 years ago
Nelson needs a talking too and the rubber bands taken away from him.
Diat60 over 4 years ago
Opal thought it was a good idea – at the time.
cuzinron47 over 4 years ago
She does now.
marshalljpeters Premium Member over 4 years ago
My brothers and I used to have rubber band wars in our house. Each start out with about six, and once your ammo was used up you had to scavenge for it. We had regular rules, too. A hit in the arm or leg made that limb useless, hit in the head or upper torso was fatal. Last one standing won.